| 100% | TALIA | 5 | Shire with no connection to "The Lord of the Rings," as far as I can tell |
| 42% | SEE | 3 | "As far as I can ___" (to the best of one's understanding) |
| 39% | BANG | 4 | "The Big ___ Theory," American sitcom with a few episodes that refer to "The Lord of the Rings" |
| 37% | ITSEEMS | 7 | "As far as I can tell . . ." |
| 35% | TALIA | 5 | Shire not in "The Lord of the Rings"? |
| 35% | HOBBIT | 6 | "The ___," book that is a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" series |
| 34% | FOLLOWINGORDERS | 15 | Doing as told, in the military ... or what the starts of the answers to starred clues can literally have? |
| 34% | ORC | 3 | "The Lord of the Rings" creature loyal to Sauron |
| 34% | NEAR | 4 | "As ___ as I can tell ..." ("It seems to me ...") |
| 33% | DEADEND | 7 | Like jobs with no future ... and what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be? |
| 33% | FRODO | 5 | "The Lord of the Rings" character who takes the ring to Mount Doom |
| 33% | ENYA | 4 | Singer with an Oscar-nominated song in "The Lord of the Rings" |
| 33% | SEEMSTOME | 9 | “Far as I can tell . . .” |
| 32% | SOUTH | 5 | "___ Park," American animated sitcom with an episode that parodies "The Lord of the Rings" |
| 32% | BEATLES | 7 | The ___, "Abbey Road" band that wanted to make films based on "The Lord of the Rings" starring themselves |
| 32% | RULE | 4 | "One ring to ___ them all...," inscription on the One Ring from "The Lord of the Rings" |
| 32% | SEAN | 4 | With 8-Down, Samwise Gamgee player in "The Lord of the Rings" |
| 31% | SEA | 3 | Stretch of water as far as the eye can "see" |
| 31% | NAZGUL | 6 | Group of nine humans who are also known as the Black Riders from "The Lord of the Rings" |
| 31% | ERASE | 5 | To rub out, as with the back of a pencil |
| 31% | WOOD | 4 | Elijah ___, "The Lord of the Rings" actor who honored his role by getting a matching tattoo with the cast |
| 31% | FRODO | 5 | The Lord of the Rings hero |
| 30% | FRODO | 5 | "The Lord of the Rings" character Leonard dresses up as in "The Middle-Earth Paradigm" episode of "The Big Bang Theory" |
| 30% | IMONAROLL | 9 | "Things could not be going better for me!" ... or a hint to the placement of the circled letters |
| 30% | SAM | 3 | The Lord of the Rings good guy |
| 30% | ENTS | 4 | The Lord of the Rings tree creatures |
| 30% | MIDDLE | 6 | The Lord of the Rings happens in __ Earth |
| 30% | SHIRE | 5 | The ___, fertile land that's home to the Hobbits in "The Lord of the Rings" |
| 30% | SEE | 3 | "As far as I can ___ ..." |
| 30% | SMOKE | 5 | Word that can combine with the starts of the answers to the six starred clues |